David has a job again.

[Calm]

WARNING nearly as long as a DINGO post-
As some of you know/might remember my job as accountant at the cemetery was eliminated in a staff restructure so i have been out of work since 2nd April.

Due to the stress from the office environment i was in i had decided i wanted to return to the work i did before i became an accountant, which was earthmoving machinery operator or truck driver.

I have been applying for all the machinery jobs around with no success mainly due to the fact when i drove bulldozers there was no such thing as a "ticket" or qualification you either could or you couldn't.

Anyway the bank balance was suffering from being home too long, buying tools etc so i rang up about a truck driving job. I had in mind 2 trips to Adelaide a week would be good enough, only having to load and unload once a day 8 hours driving each way, and be home all weekend, so the Ad in the paper had crane truck or refrigeration trucks for melb to Adelaide, vic country and metropolitan. When i got there i found out the Company had bought the Crane trucks that i used to drive delivering prefab house frames & trusses

Tuesday The interview -
him-so you want to drive crane trucks again - Me no i was thinking of frig vans to Adelaide
Him - i think you would be better in crane trucks - Me - the reason i left last time was driving around melb all day, casual work , non today and start at 3 pm to go to the other side of Melb gave me the sh*&^s.
Him - definetly crane trucks, Melbourne's not that bad the other blokes will give you tips to get around the traffic. about 955 of our work is too Melb. We organise better and wouldn't send you to melb at 3pm - Me-i didnt like putting frames on top of 2 storey frames in the dark and climbing up to unhook chains etc, stuff falling off the truck (little wooden spacer blocks placed to fill gaps when they stacked the frames) and watching them bounce on the road behind you didnt impress me either.
Him - no we are better organised can you start tomorrow. Me - i am busy tomorrow but could come in for orientation etc between 10 and 3 if that suits.

Wednesday - go in spend 2 hours reading manuals, filling out forms asking questions and other crap then go round and load a trailer for Thursday.

Thursday - go to Warrigul unload & reload back to Dandenong more loading then back to Ballarat unload then reload for the next day - back to the yard, change trailer go load that for someone else the next day, back again knock off - started at 4.30 am now it is 5.30pm 13 hours straight no lunch break etc.

Friday - go to Shepparton unload back to Ballarat reload for Monday - load another trailer again wash truck & knock off - started 5.45am now 3.15pm 91/2 hours

Monday - go to Knoxfield back to ballarat change trailer go to Werribee back to ballarat reload for tomorrow then load another trailer for someone else change back over to my trailer knock off - started 4.45am now 4.45pm 12 hours again.

So i am off to bed now to go to Cranbourne tomorrow at 5am - then another one for the day somewhere else

Not too sure if i have a new job or a new lifestyle but if the pay is as big as the hours LOOK OUT HERE COMES A STUBBY - seriously though if i buy a Stubby i will be too tired to ever use it.

Ahhhhhh what i would give for retirement and tattslotto

Goodnight and cheers all

Dave

[Big Shed]

Great news David

Hope you enjoy the new lifestyle and the outdoor work. Bit of a change from being an accountant (in a cemetery of all places)

Hope all goes well for you and you will find the time to put a deposit on a Stubby.

[Jim Carroll]

David good luck with the new job.

Be very carefull or you may end up back in the cemetary on the wrong side of the ground.

[Cliff Rogers]

Dave????? Dave's not here man.

I hope the money is worth it mate.

[munruben]

Ahhhhhh what i would give for retirement and tattslotto

Dave

tattslotto would be ok. not sure about retirement though.

[tea lady]

Good on you getting the job Dave. Nice if you could get a break in all that work though. And all that loading for other people? You must have told them you could do everything. Hope it settles into a more manageable pace.

[ian]

Thursday - go to Warrigul unload & reload back to Dandenong more loading then back to Ballarat unload then reload for the next day - back to the yard, change trailer go load that for someone else the next day, back again knock off - started at 4.30 am now it is 5.30pm 13 hours straight no lunch break etc.

Friday - go to Shepparton unload back to Ballarat reload for Monday - load another trailer again wash truck & knock off - started 5.45am now 3.15pm 91/2 hours

Monday - go to Knoxfield back to ballarat change trailer go to Werribee back to ballarat reload for tomorrow then load another trailer for someone else change back over to my trailer knock off - started 4.45am now 4.45pm 12 hours again.

So i am off to bed now to go to Cranbourne tomorrow at 5am - then another one for the day somewhere else

Dave

Dave

I very rarely mention my day job, but if you're driving a truck for those sorts of hours you and your employer really should take a long hard look at yourselves.

If you're "fatigued managed" a 14 hour shift with no more than 12 hours driving or loading/unloading is sort of OK
If not, talk to your union rep about those hours even if you hate the union


ian

[Calm]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, i think Cliff is right on the money, hope it's worth it.

They are a couple of drivers down so that and being the new kid on the block i hope are the reasons for the hours. Bit of a change from 8.30 to 5 in the office but the mind is appreciating it a lot more i can tell you.

Ian i agree with you but i am making sure i go to bed at 8 - 8.30 each night and with no need to use a log book for less than 100 km radius you can do a lot of hours and distance with no control. Come september they tell me a log book is compulsory for every kilometer and loading but even then you can do 12 hours driving and 2 hours loading - or any combination - thats if you call all loading time loading and not rest time - but i still dont want to work 14 hours every day.

The question - do you live to work or work to live comes to mind?

Anyway off again see you when its dark.

Ooroo

[echnidna]

you should work to enjoy life

[artme]

Good for you David! Hope you enjoy every moment of it.

[Elbow]

Great news David hope it all works out & you get a bit of turning time

Allan

[rrich]

you should work to enjoy life

NO!

Work should be enjoyable and then you go home to even more fun.

BTDT - About 40 years!

[ss_11000]

hope your enjoying it david and i hope it works out to be well paying job.

[Calm]

Early day today only 11 hours, thanks for all the comments.

Allan the thing that i find quite funny is the interview, i went in told him what i didn't like, what i wanted to do, and while he was talking to me i could hear that little voice in my head going "he's not listening to me" and yep it was right i came out with the job that i didn't want.

Anyway if a better one comes along i wont feel so quilty saying goodbye. It is casual anyway for the first 3 months but i think there are some people there for 3 or 4 years that are still casual. Thats 1 hours notice.

anyway i better read some posts. Could nearly get a couple of hours in the shed tonight. nah dont think so.

cheers

[Pheonix]

Calm:
Cement Australia are looking for drivers,my son drives for them, cant get enough of them, rotating 12 hour shifts if thats any problem,you will need a semi license.Pay is good they are just re equipping their fleet with all new Kenworths and trailers.
pm me if you are interested